Alleviate Your Sore Feet With These Remedies

It can be argued that your feet are the hardest working body parts you own. It seems that unless you literally kick your feet up and lay back, your feet are always working — walking, standing, running, exercising… they take it all on, for hours and hours at a time. If you work a job that requires you to stand or walk for long periods of time, your feet are probably swollen and sore by the time you get through the front door.

Thankfully, you can alleviate your soreness and rejuvenate those yelping puppies with a few simple at-home methods. Are you in Phoenix with chronic foot pain? Give these tips a shot.

A Warm Bath
As with chronic neck and back pain, Phoenix locals can depend on a nice hot bath to soothe their aching muscles and reduce the swelling in their feet. Whether you want to grab a bucket to soak your feet in or jump in a bathtub is up to you. Either way, it’s important to remember the key soothing ingredient: Epsom salts. Epsom salts break down into sulfate and magnesium and absorb into your skin, relaxing your muscles and loosening your joints. If you plan on having an Epsom foot bath, all you need is a single cup of salts to an entire tub of water. You’ll feel better in 20 minutes’ time.

• Stretch Your Feet
  If your feet are sore, doing a few stretches can actually help de-tense your muscles and help you feel better. There are stretches that can help you target your toes, your heel, or the arch of your foot. Stretching your feet also helps to prevent cramps and make your feet more flexible. A few stretches to try:
• For toes — Alternate between flexing and curling your toes for a total of ten repetitions.
• For ankles — sit down and extend both of your legs away from your body. Point your toes toward your torso and then away. Then rotate your ankles, both clockwise and then counterclockwise.
• For arches — Stand up and shift your body weight between your heels and your toes by lifting the front and back off the ground in a rocking motion.

Strengthen your Feet
The stronger the muscles and tendons in your feet are, the less they’ll hurt by the end of the day. If your feet get sore easily because you aren’t used to being up for too long, try adding healthy activities to your lifestyle. Start with regular walks and work your way up to more intensive exercises like short jogs or some time on an elliptical.

Get a Foot Massage
Of course, you can always be your own masseuse — it’s easy, free, and there are plenty of online videos on how to give yourself a proper foot massage. Massaging your own feet is an easy way to improve circulation and get rid of soreness. If that seems like too much work, you could always buy a foot roller. Rollers are essentially rolling pins with a rugged texture that you can use to massage tense muscles and problem areas. Put one on the ground and roll it with your feet.

Though it isn’t an everyday solution, going to a certified massage therapist is a great option if you need extra help with pain management in Phoenix. Of course, there’s also your local Phoenix pain clinic. There, your doctor can identify why you have issues with soreness and give you instructions on how to alleviate it.

Orthopedic Insoles
Orthotics have been around forever, but people seem to forget they exist — and that they’re readily available at most pharmacies and shoe stores. Many people experience soreness in their feet because they have low arches. Your arches are what help to support your body weight and when they’re too low, your other foot muscles, knees, and lower back usually have to pick up the slack. That’s why it’s common for people with low arches to have spine and knee issues too.

Getting arch supports can almost instantly get rid of all the pain that comes with having low arches. You’ll be able to walk and stand for hours at a time — but don’t! Always take a moment to rest when you feel tired or sore.

Wear Different Shoes
Shoes are another common culprit behind sore feet. The following shoe-related issues can all contribute to foot soreness:
● You own shoe shoes way past their lifespan (past 500 miles of use)
● You wear high heels throughout most of your week
● You’re wearing the wrong shoe size
● You wear shoes without any proper support (ie. flip-flops or flats)
● Your shoes are to narrow for your feet

Put Your Feet on Ice
If your feet are red and swollen, put them over an ice-filled bag, or a frozen water bottle. Alternatively, you could fill a bin with cold water and ice and dip your feet into an ice bath. This can reduce inflammation in as little as 5 minutes.

Topical Pain Relief
There are plenty of topical applications you find at the drugstore to help with foot soreness. You can find creams that heat up to relax the muscles in your feet, as well as creams that provide cool, soothing pain relief. Some even start cold, and slowly heat up! If you’re not sure which topical cream to use for your sore feet, talk to your pharmacist.

If none of these remedies work to alleviate your soreness, talk to a doctor immediately as your ailment may be a sign of another, more serious condition. Contact your doctor if you can’t put your body weight on your feet, have swelling for more than a few days, or feel as though you may have sprained your ankle or broken a bone in your foot.